Pacific Dunes Video Tour

Another video tour of a top class golf course! This is the Pacific Dunes course at the Bandon Dunes Resort in Oregon, another ocean side gem. The Pacific Dunes is a par 71, and approximately 6,633 yards. 

New Blog Gadgets

I've added a couple of new gadgets on the right to the blog. Firstly, there is the Google Plus button, with which you can then add this blog to Google Plus when selected. Below this catch up on the latest blog chat on Amateur Golfer. This gadget includes links to the posts where you can then add your  own input.

A Guide to Golf in Anna Maria Island, Florida

Anna Maria Island, the small but glorious island off the west coast of Florida, has a marvelous golfing climate. As such, it is a popular destination for golfers the world over.

Being a mere nine miles in length, the island itself doesn't have the size to host a great number of courses. In fact, the Key Royale Club, boasting a challenging nine holes, is the only course located on the island.

But don't be alarmed! For there are more than 50 golf courses, public and private, in and around the Anna Maria Island area. With reasonable prizes, generous fairways and enough to test golfers of all skill levels. Islanders enjoy an easy commute to a number of these golfing gems.

Brandenton hosts a large number of courses. Manatee Country golf course is a public golf which has earned good reviews. As an 18 hole par 72 it has a course rating of 72, making it one of the trickier propositions in the region. The River Club also boasts a lot of tricky holes (with a higher rating of 74), including a par 4 with an island green. Whilst in the area don't overlook the River Run Golf links, where golfers get an exciting view of the Braden River which you cannot afford to miss! It is a public course, and slightly less demanding on the beginner with a rating of 67.9.

Further south, in Sarasota, there are also a number of interesting golf courses. The University Park Country Club offers five courses, from gold to bronze, which offer a world of opportunities! It is a pretty course and was named one of the best in America by GolfWeek magazine. One of newest additions on the Sarasota golf scenes is that of the Stoney Brook Country Club, designed by Arthur Hills. It is challenging and entertaining for both novices and pros alike, and also offers golfing tuition.

In Palmetto, just north of Brandenton, there is the Imperial Lakes Golf Course. This course has rolling and lush fairways, which are a definite draw! Near to Imperial Lakes, Buffalo Creeks offers an 18 hole Scottish links style course. It's a tough championship golf course, with wide open spaces. As such, this course is not so well suited for beginner players. At the Foxfire Golf Club, three exciting and beautiful nine-hole courses (Par 72) wind through the trees and lakes offering abundant glimpses of wildlife. It gets regular accolades as one of Florida's top public courses.

Just a note, whilst in Brandenton area you might also want to check out the world renowned Leadbitter Golf Academy. Leadbitter is regarded as one of the top coaches within the game. So this is an ideal place to enhance your golfing technique!

All things considered, Anna Maria Island is nestled in a sea of greens. With exotic wildlife, and a number of beautiful courses combined with the relaxing style of old Florida, the region is hard to beat when it comes to Golf.

Aircraft Carrier Golf Course

An aircraft carrier may not be the most likely place for a golf course, given the limitations of size etc. Yet despite this, as the desktop wallpaper below highlights, you can now play golf on the deck of an aircraft carrier. Lush green grass, fairways and greens dominate the deck of this carrier. Just watch out for the water! 

The Golf Courses in the Desert

You may not have considered a desert to be a great location for golf. But then you probably haven't played at the Troon North Golf Club, which is set among the foothills of the Sonoran Desert. Here two expansive golf courses are included, the Monument Course and the Pinnacle Course, which are ranked among the best in Arizona. Both courses eclipse 7,000 yards from the black tees. This Troon North Golf Club video provides further details, and includes some great footage of the courses.

How to Play Match Play Golf With Nobody to Play Against

If you're not playing in a group, you cannot play match play golf, right? Well in actual fact you can. To play match play golf without anybody to play against you simply have to input some stroke play numbers for each golf hole on the score card before you begin the round.

What those score numbers should be is entirely up to you. As a suggestion, you could simply take one of your own stroke play scores from a previous round, and input the score numbers for each of the holes. If you're playing on a course you've not previously played, then you'll have to input some new figures, but make sure that the overall score is comparable to your own averages.

Then you can play match play golf with nobody to play against. If you beat one of the hole scores on the card you win the hole, if level it is tied and if you go above the score then the hole is lost. At the end of the round tally up how many holes you have won.

As an example, here are two of my own golf scores for the same course: 5, 7, 6, 5, 3, 5, 4, 4, 5 and 4, 6, 6, 6, 4, 6, 3, 5, 6. With a match play scoring format, my first score would win the round 5.5 – 4.5. Perhaps not a big surprise, as that was marginally the better round overall.

Remove the Flag from the Hole

Make sure that you remove the flag when putting on the green. This is because if your ball makes contact with the flag when putting on the green you'll have to add an extra two penalty strokes to the scorecard. This counts if the flag is in the hole or not.

With match-play scoring it's not entirely the same. If your ball makes contact with the flag when putting on the green you will lose the hole. So, this has to be noted for a match-play round.

Of course, that is only if you are on the green. If you are putting from off the green then you can leave the flag in the hole. This includes any putts from the collar which is not considered a part of the green.

If you're playing on your own then it's best to place the flag off the green. Or alternatively, directly behind you. Then you can be sure that your ball will not make contact.

The Kiawah Island Ocean Course

The Ocean Course, at Kiawah Island, is great championship and a resort course. It's an ocean course with an Atlantic coastline. It will also be hosting the forthcoming 2012 PGA Championship. Here's another great golf course video which includes a tour of the course. 

Golf courses in Tucson, Arizona

Tucson, Arizona has a number of golf courses for golfers to play on. The region has a mild climate, and some great courses for the golfer to tee-off from. Big name designers have helped make some exciting courses, and the region also has golf vacation spots

Arizona National golf club should receive first mention. Designed by Robert Jones, the course features in quite unique desert surroundings. The course meanders up and down the Catalina Mountains, and has great views of the surrounding dessert. As a par 71, it has 6,776 yards of golf course and is accessible to most golfers.

As mentioned, the region has golf vacation spots. Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort is one of those. It has two 18-hole championship golf courses and one 9-hole course. They are all exciting to play and are not exactly alike. Also located in the Catalina Mountains, on high Sonoran desert, the surrounding desert plays its part in the golf. It is the largest golf resort in the region, and is not something to miss.

The oldest golf course in the region is the Turquoise Valley Golf and RV. Opened in 1908, the course is most notable for its unique par 6 hole. The longest golf hole west of the Mississippi, the hole is 747 yards long! The course itself has 6778 yards and a par of 71.

If you are looking for a good selection of courses, then head for Tucson City golf course. The Randolph golf complex is comprised of two 18-hole championship golf courses. Those being the Randolph North and Dell Urich. They are favored by the locals due to their proximity to the city, in addition to their age and heritage. Both are tree lined, parkland courses with flat fairways and undulated greens. Randolph is also the longest course in the city, with a total yardage of 6863.

The Crooked Tree course is an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Lee Trevino. It has some great holes which have desert and mountain vistas. The course is also host the Arizona Open, and other tournaments.

The golf resort of The Western La Paloma is in the foothills of the Catalina Mountain range and has two 9 -hole courses along with a more unique 10 hole course. The legendary Jack Nicklaus designed all the courses and with other amenities, it is a resort well worth visiting.

Ryder Cup Captain, Tom Lehman, had his hand in the Omni Tuscan National resort. It's been the home for the PGA Tour for three decades and is a rare gem, offering two sought after golf courses at fair value. The Sanoran Course and the Catalina Course are two championship courses, which can make for a great round!

These are just a fairly random selection of some of the courses in Tuscon of Arizona. There are more, but these are all notable courses in the region, with famous golfers and course designers behind them. From Nicklaus to Robert Jones, big names in golf have had their mark on the region.

Where to take a Golf Vacation?

Here on Amateur Golfer I have included a few golf posts covering golf vacation destinations. Check out some of the previous golf vacation destination posts. Here are the links:

• Sandy Lane
• The Costa Del Sol
• Pinehurst
• Pebble Beach
• Kiawah Island
• Golf Vacations in Europe

These posts provide further details on the vacation resorts. Also, check out the Travel Golf website which is included with this blog's links.

Golf at the Olympics

Golf was once played at the Olympics. Only twice has an Olympic golf championship been played in the early 20th century. These were at the 1900 Paris Olympic games and the St Louis Olympics in 1904.

The first gold was won by the American Charles Sand, and two UK golfers made the top three for silver and bronze. The format for the golf championship was pretty basic, with 36 holes played with a stroke scoring format. A total of 167 was enough to win the singles, and a team based championship was also played which was won by... Canada!

The second Olympic golf championship was something of a farce as it only had U.S. and a few Canadian golfers in it. As such, they scooped gold, bronze and silver!

Hereafter, golf was abandoned at the Olympics. Until now that is, and golf is set to return in future Olympics. A new Olympic course is to be included in Rio which will be the next venue. This golf championship should have lower scores than previous Olympic golf championships, and include a much wider variety of golfers, but whether it will match the Majors is debatable.

Cypress Point Golf Course Slideshow

You might have heard of the Cypress Point golf course, as it's usually ranked within Golf Digest's top 10 U.S. golf courses. This is a coastal course set beside the Pacific Ocean which has some great coastal golf holes. Check out this video which includes a slideshow of the course and its best holes. 

Golf Course Reviews: Arcadian Shores Golf Course

The Arcadia Shores golf course, is part of the resort golf academy of Myrtle Beach in south Carolina. This academy, is one of the foremost golf schools in southeast America.

The course of Arcadia Shores opened in 1974, along with the Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort. Designed by Rees Jones, this course offers a good blend. Jones is quoted as saying:

"Arcadian Shores is an old-style true test of golf. I was proud of its design when it opened in 1974. And I am just as proud of it today."

It is a 6485-yard par 72. Hole distances range from 174-yard par three holes, to much longer 557-yard par 5s.

Amongst its natural features are great lakes, deceptive bunkers and tree lined fairways. Such natural and man made hazards, invariably make for an interesting challenge. The Tifton Bermuda greens also have distinctive contouring.

The course has multiple tees, offering different distances. There are actually five tees altogether, from red, gold, white, champions and tiger tees. These are in order, from beginner to advanced play.

Slope/course rating is also different from each tee. They range from 69 to 73 with regard to course rating, while the slope is 113 through to 136 on the tiger tees.

Of the course holes, 13 is the signature hole with the lowest rating. This hole has a large lake guarding the green, which can present quite an obstacle. Also worth noting, is the fairway, which starts level with the tees but drops sharply on approach to the lake. A tricky bunker lies behind the green, which can also be hard to escape.

The course was voted as one of the top 100 in America, 3 years after it opened. This was by magazines such as Golf Magazine and Golf Digest.

Green fees are approximately $89 dollars to $79 off-peak. Likewise, the course includes golf carts to use when available. It also provides golf club hire, a practice range and suitable clubhouse.

Player reviews are mixed. It is praised for its challenge and value. Some have criticized it for a lack of variety and too many sand traps. Amenities and maintenance, are two areas that players feel the Arcadia course could be better.

Overall, it is an old school course with a variety of tees, which makes the course suitable for all players. As part of the Myrtle golf resort, with nearby hotels, it can make for a suitable golf vacation location.

A Look at the St Andrews Golf Course

St Andrews golf course is one of the great golf courses. To get a closer look at this course I have included a relatively short video below. This video tour covers some of the highlights of the  St Andrews Golf Course. 

How Nine-Hole Golf Courses compare to 18-Hole Golf Courses

There are two types of golf courses in the sport of golf. There are those of 18-holes, and there are those golf courses which include only nine-holes. As such, there are a few contrasts between such golf courses.

To begin with, the most obvious disparity between nine and 18-hole golf courses is that of the size. The relative size of a 18-hole golf course will be thousands of yards more than that of a nine hole course. On average, you may find that a nine hole course may be something between 2,000 to 3,000 yards in distance. In comparison, an 18-hole golf course will be more like 6,000 yards in distance.

Of course, this does not necessarily mean that there is a big contrast in the average distance of the holes included. Holes on nine-hole golf courses can be just as long as those on 18-hole golf courses, with par 3, 4 and 5 holes included. It should be noted that nine-hole courses should not be confused with pitch and putt golf, whereby all the holes included are short par 3 holes.

It is also worth noting that you do not have to play nine-holes on nine-hole golf courses. In fact, most actually have an 18-hole option whereby you simply play the same nine-holes twice. They can then have variable tee positions. So, in this respect you can also play more extended rounds on nine-hole golf courses.

Nine-hole golf courses can also be more of a budget alternative to 18-hole golf courses. Because they have more holes, 18-hole golf courses usually have a higher green fee than nine-hole golf courses. As such, nine-hole golf courses are a good alternative if looking for cheaper golf rounds.

For the most part however, in the professional game championship golf is all about 18-hole golf courses. Name some of the most prominent golf courses and courses such as Augusta, St Andrews, and Pebble Beach may feature. All have staged Major golf championship and they are all 18-hole courses. Nine-hole golf courses may be suitable for amateur championships, but on the PGA tour they do not feature.

18-hole golf courses may overshadow their nine-hole counterparts, but there are still some great nine-hole golf courses. These golf courses are cheaper, and can also still have a long average hole distance. As such, nine hole golf courses can be good to start on.

Myrtle Beach Golf Courses

Myrtle Beach, in South Carolina, is home to a number of exciting golf courses. Designed by some famous golfers, and top course designers, the courses offer some great golf. In many respects, it makes for a good golf vacation destination.

To begin with, there is the West Course. Designed by Arnold Palmer, this is one of the most challenging in the Myrtle Beach area. The course is carved through majestic Carolina pine forests, and has numerous natural hazards in addition to fairway bunkers.

Alternatively, you could try the Nicklaus layout at Long Bay Club. This course has some excellent holes, with holes 7,10,13 and 18 featured in the book The 100 Greatest holes along the Grand Strand.' It has formidable features, including a 137-slope rating and countless man-made mounds. The course also has bottomless bunkers scattered about, and some tricky par 3 holes. While the par 3 holes can be pretty they can also be very hard, like the 13th which has a green surrounded by water!

There are two Robert Trent Jones courses in the region. Waterway Hills Golf Club is one, featuring the Oak, Ravine and Lake Courses. These are classic Jones courses, featuring strategic landing areas, great bunkers and crowned greens. They are all 9-hole courses, set amid woodlands and lakes.

If looking for a more Scottish golf course, then you could try the Aberdeen Golf Club. This is one of the newest clubs in Myrtle Beach area. As the name suggests, the club has courses with a more Scottish feel. The nine-hole courses of the Meadows, Highlands and Woodlands keep to Scottish tradition and feature mounding, wide land areas and bent grass.

The North Course at the Myrtle Beach National is one of the most exciting in Myrtle Beach. Arnold Palmer and his design group have transformed the North Course into one of the best in America. Golf Digest ranked it in America's top 10 new upscale courses, and it has been named South Carolina's course of the year.

What makes it so special? It has some dramatic holes like the 6th hole, which has an island fairway. The 12th hole has an island green, while hole 18 has over 40 sand traps guarding both sides of the fairway and a lake stretching out from it. Such holes make it perhaps the best course on the Grand Strand.

Of course, these are just a select handful of some of the more notable golf courses in the Myrtle Beach area. Overall, there are approximately 130 golf courses in the region for golfers to try their hand at. Myrtle Beach has golf courses featuring excellent design creativity and scenery, with water hazards featuring prominently. Certainly there is no lack of choice, and golfers of all levels should find something to cater for them in Myrtle Beach.

A Brief Guide to the More Essential Golf Equipment and Accessories

In the game of golf there is some variety of equipment and accessories. The equipment and accessories range in size and necessity. Here are a few of the golf equipment and accessories that should be taken onto a golf course.

Golf clubs

The golf clubs are the most essential equipment for a round of golf, along with the ball itself. You will need at least a few golf clubs for tee-shots, and also the short game. Overall, the golf clubs include woods, irons, wedges, and putter. The golf irons include clubs from 3 iron up to 9 iron, with the lower numbered clubs hitting the ball further. Then, for the short game the wedges and golf putter can be used for chipping, pitching, and putting on the golf green. As such, you can take as many as 14 golf clubs onto a golf course, but no more.

Golf Bag

The golf bag is something that is required to put the golf clubs in. Overall, the golf bags can be either stand bags which include a stand for support, or golf cart-bags which can be pulled. Such golf bags can carry a full-set of clubs, and also have additional pockets for accessories.

Golf head covers also come included with a variety of golf bags. Golf head covers are put over the longest clubs in the bag, such as the woods. They can come in various colors, shapes and sizes with novelty head covers a great addition to any golf bag. You can find plenty at websites such as: www.shopjust4golf.com.

Golf Tees

Golf tees are needed to tee the golf ball for tee shots. Overall, the golf tees can be smaller or larger tees, which tee the ball higher or lower depending on the loft required. In addition to this, the golf tees can be either the more durable plastic tees or wooden golf tees.

Golf Glove

Few golfers play without a golf glove. Golf gloves are for the left hand, and provide extra grip of the golf club. Golf gloves are usually either leather or synthetic, and leather gloves can be more durable than the synthetic alternatives.

Pitch-mark Repair Tool and Ball Marker

Pitch-mark repair tools are used on the green. If the green is not entirely smooth in places, then a pitch-mark repair tool can be used to flatten the green with. By flattening the green, a smooth putt can then be made towards the hole. The other golf accessory for the green are ball markers that can be left on the green to mark the position of a removed ball. As such, with one of these you can then remove your ball from the green to rub mud off it.

This is just some the golf equipment and accessories you can and should take out onto a golf course. Golf clubs, golf bag, golf tees, golf glove, pitch-mark repair tool, and golf shoes are equipment and accessories that can assist you during a round. Such golf equipment and accessories can be found at most golf stores.

An Augusta Flyover

The Augusta golf course has some great holes, all of which are included within this great simulated tour of the golf course. This EA tour flys over and through the course's holes from hole one to the final 18th. The flyover is from EA's Tiger Wood PGA Tour 12 golf game, which is the first to include the Master's golf championship.  Check out the video below for an overview of this famous course. 

This flyover of the 12th hole, with Rae's Creek, is also a great video:

A Brief History of Golf during the 20th Century

Towards the end of the 19th century golf was established in America. The first American golf courses ensured a burgeoning golf industry, and a new generation of golfers for an exciting era. With this, the professional game took off and golf became one of the most prominent sports.

It was in the UK that the PGA (Professional Golf Association) was first established in 1901. This was the first professional golf body that represented club professionals.

Advances in golf balls came in 1908. Taylor patented the first dimple design for golf balls in 1908. Such a design enhanced golf ball aerodynamics, and so allowed for players to hit balls further than they had before.

The U.S. Open was first established toward the end of the 19th century. However, in the 20th it continued to be dominated by UK golfers up until 1911. As such, it was John McDermott who was the first American golfer to win the U.S. Open, and indeed a major, on American soil.

This would be followed by the emergence of the PGA of America in 1916. The PGA of America was founded by Robert White, and would represent American professional golfers. In addition, the first PGA Championship coincided with the emergence of the PGA of America in 1916. Held in 1916, the PGA Championship was first won by Jim Barnes.

Match-play matches involving UK and U.S. golf teams the early '20s would see the emergence of new match-play event in 1926. Founded by Samuel Ryder, the Ryder Cup began in 1927 as a biannual match-play championship between the best American and UK golfers. The first Ryder Cup was won convincingly by the U.S., and up until '37 the championship remained relatively even.

In the early '30s the Augusta National course was opened. With this, the Masters golf championship began as the Augusta National Invitation on March 22nd 1934. The first championship was won by Horton Smith, and then Gene Sarazen in 1935 with the course layout reversed.

In the post-war era, with four major golf championships established, TV coverage of the game began. The U.S. Open was one of the first golf championships to be given such coverage by CBS.

Conferences between the USGA and R & A in 1951 would go some way to standardising the game. The golf bodies reviewed and revised the rules surrounding the sport. In addition to this, the centre-shafted putter was also introduced for the first time.

As the '50 gave way to the '60s, new golf stars would soon emerge on the PGA Tour. Players such as Ben Hogan and Sam Snead had set golfing standards in the '50s. Then, in 1962 the promising golfer Jack Nicklaus won his first major at the U.S. Open. It would be the first of 18 majors, a record set at the 1986 Masters.

The game became increasingly dominated by Americans in the '60s and 70's. However, in the '80s golfers like Ballestoros, Faldo and Norman would start to offer some more serious competition. This was reflected in the Ryder Cup by some great EU teams, as well as at some of the Majors won by European players.

By the end of the 20th century, the game of golf had more sophisticated clubs and balls. With more sophisticated clubs, and perhaps also better players, new golf records were set by the likes of Woods at the U.S. Masters.

Today, the game of golf is much cherished and one of the more widely played sports. In the 21st century, the sport should continue to excite and inspire.

The Longest Par - 5 Hole in the United States

Although not quite the longest in the United States, the 9th par-5 hole at the Gallery Golf Club North Course is the longest par-5. The hole extends approximately 725 yards, although from the red tees this hole is a somewhat shorter par-5. The hole also includes a large lake towards the end of the fairway.

North Course's 9th Par-5 hole

Undoubtedly, this is the highlight of the North Course which is rated as one of the best in Arizona. This course is set in Arizona's Sonoran Desert among sweeping red canyons. In addition to this, there is also a South Course which has hosted World Golf Championships.